Belt buckle



C. SPINNLER BELT BUCKLE Sept. 1, 1931.

Filed July 10, 1930 Patented Sept. l, 31931 ETE STATES CARL SPINNLER, FLIESTAL, SWITZERLAND BELT ,BUCKLE Application `filed. July 10, 1930,Serial No. 467,079, andrin Switzerland July 16, 19.29.V Y

This invention relates to buckles V'forbelts and the like, comprisingtwo pivotal coupling members adapted tobeturned on one another and oneof them being adjustably connected with the one end of the belt. Y v

y Eelt buckles of this type were heretofore proposed to be applied tobracelets and the like, When such buckles ,were used for in stance, onshoe .straps they were not satisfactory as they did not permit of aready, convenient and precise tensioning and detaching of the strap andat the same timeof effectively Y,preventing an unintentional disengage;ment of the buckle on bumping the saine or getting entangled therewithand so on. Therefore, none of the known buckles could successfully beintroduced on the market as buckles for shoe straps. rlphe known bucklesof this type did not enable the belt to be exactly adjusted to anycircumference to beV embraced bythe latter only an adjustment of thebelt in steps being possible or the locking of the buckle was to beeffected by meansof a not easily accessible snap-bolt to be pressed bythe linger nails which for certain purposes was not handy. Other knowndevices of this kind provided for the free belt Aend to be entered in aclasp, but so as to be retained there in in the locking position ofthesame only and during the locking operation could freely shift relativelyto the clasp so that when the device'was applied to shoes a suitabletensioning of the straps was scarcely possible.

coupling member provides a cross-bar for a claspframe pivotallyconnected thereto, such wise, that the belt'inserted in the clasp frame,

vat the same time tensioned and clampingly secured to the clasp frame.Suitably the karrangement is such that the coupling member connectedwith the clasp frame is formed with an extension which during thelocking movey ment of the buckle enters in the clasp frame y andwhich'is Aprovided with afgroove in which in the locking position of thebuckle a hook shaped extensionon the other coupling member is forced toengage. l

Owing to this Varrangement the: belt or strap, during the locking of thebuckle, is automatically adapted to the foot i. e. to the circumferenceof the body to be embraced and as the coupling is completely covered bythe clasp `no undesired disengagement 'of the G5 buckle by bumping orgetting entangled therewith is possible whilst on the other hand foropening the buckle va mere lifting of the clasp frame is required.Besides, the extension has imparted a high spring action theretoV and isprovided with rounded-oil' catching surfaces, thus avoiding the safetyof the locking engagement to be diminished due to the spring actionrelaxingor the catching surfaces being worn. y j

In the drawings several embodimentsof the invention are illustrated byway of eX- ample wherein f Figs. land 2 show in longitudinal section andin top View respectively ythe buckle in 30 open position; l y

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section showing the buckle in closed position;1

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a belt provided With the buckle, on asmaller scale, and S5 Fig.' 5 is a longitudinal section of a secondembodiment of the invention.

The pivot oint 1 is connected to a coupling member 2 which is fastenedto the one end A of a belt R and which protrudes the said 00 end by anextension 3 bent up from the -coupling member and which surrounds thelatter extension in the locking position (Fig. 3) of the buckle, thesaid end surface being provided with a groove into which the bead on theextension 3 is adapted to enga-ge. The free end of the coupling member 4is further provided with a pivot pin 6 on which a clasp frame 7 ismounted through which the other belt end B is passed, and the pin 6 ispositioned exte-riorly of the plane of the clasp frame end eccentricallywith respect to the extension 5, suchwise, vthat in the position of theparts shown in Fig. 1 wherein the clasp frame is transversely disposedto the coupling member 4 the belt engages the clasp with clearness andis adapted to be readily pulled through the latter for adjustment,whereas in the position of the clasp when it is turned to extendparallel to the said coupling member the extension 5 enters in the jclasp frame and clamps the belt thereto to be securely held, as shown inFig. 3.

The coupling member 2 is either riveted to the end A oi' the belt orsewed thereon and positively-prevented by the extension 3 fromdisengagement therewith.

In the open condition of the buckle shown in the Figs. 1 and 2 the beltend B is adjusted in the `clasp to the required extent. There upon, theclasp frame is gripped and the coupling member 4 turned to the left,whereupon the buckle is completely locked by applying an increasedpressure on the clasp, whereby the extension 3 is first pushed aside tosubsequently be forced into the groove of the extension 3 by springaction. Thus, the buckle is securely locked as the tension in the part Bof the beltacts approximately in the direction of the coupling member 4on the pivot 1 above the axis of the latter and consequently is notenabled to open the lock the latter being secured by spring action otthe extension 3, so that also the end of the belt is prevented fromshifting in the clasp.

The buckle is opened by merely lifting the clasp frame, whereby thecoupling member 4 is automatically turned to the right and the belt Aiswidened corresponding to an increased length thereof which is equal tothe double length ot the coupling member 4, so

as to be adapte-.fl to be readily stripped off the body which itembraces.

In the constructional form of the buckle, as shown in 5, the couplingmember 12 is inserted between the two halves of the end l A, of the beltand secured thereon by means ot a rivet 18. The rivet 18 has an upper ihead 19 which in the locking position of the buckle projects through anopening 2O in the coupling member 14. The front end 15 of the couplingmember 14 forms a cross-bar for the clasp and is provided with lateralears for the reception ot' the pivot pin 16. For locking the buckle thehead 19 must be pushed through the opening E20 in which position thehead holds the coupling member 14 the end portion 15 of which securelyclamps the belt end B1 to the clasp frame in the locking position of thebuckle.

Iclaim,

1. In a belt buckle of the type described, in combination, two couplingmembers pivotally connected to each other, a clasp frame pivotallymounted on the outer end of its correlated coupling member, means on theouter end of the coupling member correlated to the said clasp frameproviding a cross-bar for the said frame for clamping the free beltportion to the frame when the two coupling members approach each other,and locking means on the outer end o each coupling member for securingthe coupling members in their closed position.

V2. In a belt buckle of the type described, in combination, two couplingmembers pivotally connected to each other, a clasp frame pivotallymounted on the outer end of its correlated coupling member, a projectionon the outer s end of the coupling member correlated to the said claspframe entering the said frame for clamping the free belt portion to theframe when the two coupling members are closed on one another, a groovein the said projection,

and a hook shaped extension on the outer end of the other couplingmember being forced into the said groove when the two coupling membersapproach each other so as to secure the coupling members in their closedposition.

3. In a belt buckle of the type described, in combination two couplingmembers pivotally connected to each other, a clasp frame, a pivot pinfor the said clasp frame on the outer end of one of the said couplingmembers, a projection on the outer end of the coupling member correlatedto the said clasp frame entering the said frame for clamping the freebelt portion to the frame when the two coupling members are closed onone another, the said pivot l f' vsin being disposed exteriorly of theplane of the said clasp frame and eccentrically to the said projectionso that the free belt portion is released in a transverse position ofthe said frame in respect to its correlated coupling member and clampedto the frame in a position of the latter parallel with the said member,a groove in the said projection, and a hook shaped extension on theouter end of the other coupling member being forced into the said groovewhen the two coupling members approach each other, so as to secure thecoupling members in their closed position.

4. In a belt buckle of the type described, in combination, two couplingmemberspivotally connected to each other, a clasp frame pivotallymounted on the outer end of its correlated coupling member, meansprovided on the coupling member correlated to said clasp frame forclamping the free belt 'portion to the frame in every position of thebelt relatively Y to the latter when the two coupling members approacheach other, and locking means arranged between the two coupling membersfor securing said members in their closed position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CARL' SPI'NNLER.

